Traction-engine



(No Model.) 2 sh'eet-sneefi 2.

G. T. GLOVBR. TRAC TION ENGINE.

NO. 342,596. Pat'ented May 25. 1886.`

UNITED T ATS PATENT OFFFICE.

GEORGE THOMPSON GLOVER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TRAOTION-ENGINE.

.'PECIFICATION forming partpf Letters Patent No. 342,596, dated May 25,1886.

Application filed July E3, 1885.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE THoMPsoN GLOVEP., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented'a certain new and useful Improvement in Tractionor Road Engines, lof which the following is a specification.

My invention, while applicable to traction or road engines general] y,is particularly applicable to a traction or road engine adapted for useupon ice roads in thelumberregions as a means for drawing sleds that areheavily loaded with logs.

The objects of my invention are, first, to eombine with the engine-trucka propelling attachment operated from the engine by an endless-chainbelt, which, when (lriven in a direction to cause the propellingattachment to advance and push forward the engine-truck, shall alsoserve as a means for exerting upon the propelling attachment acontinuousdownward pull or tension in a manuer to increase the traction of thesame proportionally to the weightand resistance of the loadedenginetruck and the mo'tive force applied to drive the endless-chainbelt;.secondly, to attain a like result when the Chain is driven in adirection to cause the propelling attachment to draw the engine-truckbackward; ihirdly, to utilize the weight and resistance of one or moresleds or other like Vehicles attached to and drawn by the propellingattachment as a means for increasing the traction of the Wheels of thelatter; fourthly, to permit in the starting up of the engine a limitedinital action thereof in advance of -the transmission of power therefromto a driving-shaft employed as a member of apower-transmitting mechanismthat is actuated from the engine, whereby the engine may be permitted toget under way before its full power is exerted to drive the powertransmitting mechanism; fifthly, to provide simple and efficient meansfor preventing the endless-chain belt that is employed to drive thepropelling attachment from slipping or working sidewisc from off itssprockets; sixthly, to utilize exhaust or waste steam from the engine asa means for melting down rough ice, and for supplying water to .form newice, serving to keep an ice road in Serial No 172,855. (No model.)

Constant repair; and, finally, to provide certain novel and improveddetails tending to promote the general efficiency of the apparatus, ashereiu'after set forth.

In carrying out my invention thetruekframe which supports the engine ismounted upon Wheels or runncrs, so that it may be pushed or drawn alongthe road. The propelling attachment is provided with t-raetion- Wheels,and is arranged opposite one. end of the engine-truck, its point oflocation being more desirably in rear of the engine-truck, in which caseit is connected with the forward end portion of the engine truck bymeans of horizontally-arranged arms, that are extended forward from theaxle of said traction-wheels, and at their forward ends jointed to theengine-truck. By means of said arms the engine-trnck'can be pushedforward or drawn back, according to the direotion in which thet-raetion-wheels are revolved.

The traction-wheels of the propel ling attachment are driven from theengine by means of an endlesschain belt, serving to connect a sprocketupon the engine-truck with asprocket upon the axle of the saidtraction-wheels, the sprockct on the engine-truck being included in apower-transmitting device that is driven from the engine. That portionof the chain which passes from the'highest portion of the sproeket ofthe propelling attachment to the highest portion of the sprockct uponthe e11- gine truck inclines downwardly from the former to the latter,this inclination of said portion of the chain being` desirably attainedby making the sprocket of the propelling attachment the larger of thetwo and mounting it upon the t-raction-wheel axle, which is set somewhathigher than the axle of the enginetruck sprocket. ASaid arrangementpermits the ehain to exert upon the sprockct of the propellingattachment, and consequently upon the traction Wheels, a downward pullwhen the chain is driven in a direetion to cause the propellingattaehment to push the enginetruck forward, in which way the traction ofthe Wheels of the propelling attachment will be increased proportionallyto the motive power and the weight and resistance of the engine-truck.

The axle of the propelling attachmentcar- IOO ries a tilting supportextending both forward from and to the rear of the axle. This supportcarries at its rear end an idler-pulley,

iand in front of the axle is provided with one or more rollers. Theidler-pulley is situated somewhat below and to the rear of the sprocketof the propelling attachment, and the endlesschain belt, which passesover the sprocket of the propelling attachment, also passes under theidler-pulley, which thereby serves to hold the chain off from thelower-portion of the said sprocket. The roller or rollers at the forwardend of the aforsaid support bear upwardly against the under side of theengine-platform, so as to limit the extent to which the pulley at therear end of the support cali be drawn down. By such arrangement thechain will excrt a downward pull upon the sprocket of the propellingattachment when the chain is driven in a direclion to turn thetractionwheels backward. This downward pull serves to increase thetraction proportionally to the motive power and the resistance to beovercome at such times as it may be necessary to draw back theengine-truck.

Means are provided for directing a steam jet or jets onto the ice road,so as to melt any rong'h ice thereon, and also water the road, in orderthat new ice can be formed, and hence the road kept in constant repair.

Chain attachments are provided between the engine-truck and the arms ofthe propelling attachments, so as to steady the arms and keep the twosprockets in line, in order to prevent the drive-chaiu from working offeither sprocket. Means are also devised whereby, when the engine isfirst st-arted up. it shall bc allowed a limited extent of action beforepositively actnating a drawing or power-transmitting mechanis'm.

In addition to the foregoing, certain devices, hereinafter particularlyspecitied,are provided for adding to the general efficiency of themachine or apparatus-for example, means for permitting a limited extentof rotary play of the traction-wheels independent of the axle, tofacilitate turning, and a simple arrangement whereby the distance of theWheels apart can be readily Varied.

'In the diawings, Figure 1 represents in side elevation an engine-truckearrying an engine, a propelling attachment constructed in accordancewith my invention attached to the eni gine-truck, and the forward bob ofa log-sled attached to the said propelling attachment. Fig. 2 is atopplan View of the engine-truck and the propelling attachment. Fig. 3represents a longitudinal Vertical section on the line x x, Fig. 2. Figi4 is a sectional detail representing, on a somewhat larger Scale, asection taken horizontally through the hub of one of thetraction-wheels, and also illustrating an end portion of the axle forthe same. Fig.l 5 is a section taken through the preceding figure on aVertical Vplane passing through the axle at a point alongside the hub.Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional detail, mainly illustrating acounter-shaft provided with a bevel-gear and a sliding worm, with thelatter in engagement with a worm-wheel.

The engine car or truck A may be of any desi red construction suitablefor use upon dirt roads, ice roads, or upon traction-rails, and

may be supported either upon Wheels or upon` sled-runners O, as hereinshown. The engine D may also be of any well-known or preferredconstruction, and is preferably secnred to an upright boiler, E, whichlatter is in turn secnred to and supported upon an appropriate platformconstructed to provide the floor portion of the truck. The rotarydriVing-shaft'F of the engine is in gear with a power-transmittingmechanism which is carried by the engine-truck, and which serves asameans for driving the endless chain that is cmployed to operate thetraction propelling attachment. Said powcr-transmitting mechanismcomprises in its organization a rotary counter-shaft, F2, arrangedtransversely to and driven from the engine-shaft, and a rotarysprocket-wheel shaft. G, which is provided with a sprockctwheel, G2, anddriven from the countcr-shaft, these said shafts being geared togetherby means of a bevel-gear, F', on the engine-shaft, engaging a like bevelgear, F3, upon the counter-shaft, and a worm-hnb. F', upon theconnter-shaft arranged to engage a worm- Wheel, F5, upon thesprocket-wheel shaft G. The worm-hub or worm-sleeve upon thecounter-shaft is keyed thereon, so that while compelled to partake ofthe rotation of the counter-shaft it shall bc susceptible of a slidingend movement thereon. This feature of the machine is designed to playlan important part in the starting up of the engine,and will behereinafter more particularly described. The sprocket-wheel shaft, G,'isdesirably monnted in bearings on the under side of the platform of theengine-truck, so as to set the sprocket G'z 'thereon as low down as maybe consistent with the construction of the enginetruck. The object ofthus arranging the sprocket upon the engine-truck is t-o place it in `alow-down position relatively to the sprocket-wheel H' of the tractionpropelling attachment, which is placed in rear of the engine-truck anddriven from the engine by Ioo IIO

means of the endless chain H, arranged to The traction propellingattachment is constructed with a pair of comparatively hightraction-wheels, I', that are arranged upon the axle I to which theaforesaid sprocket H' is secured.

The traction propelling attachment is connected with the forward portionof the enginetruck by means of a pair of horizontally-arranged arms,K,which at a point somewhatin advance of their rear ends are connectedwith the axle of the propelling attachment, and at their forward endsjointed to the enginetruck in a manner to permit them to have a limitedextent of both horizontal and Vertical swing independently of the enginetruck.

These arms may be connected together at their rear ends by across-brace, K', which, when employed, will be pivoted to the arms bybolts K'z in a manner to admit of i a desirable eXtent of movementbetween said arms and the crossbar at their Vpoints of connection.

As a means for attaching the forward ends of the arms to the forwardportion of the engine-truck, the arms can be connected to the truck bybolts K3, which admit of a desirable extent of lateral swing on the partof the arms, and which are themselves susceptible of rocking to someexthnt so as to permit a certain latitude of up-and-down swing on thepart of the arms, it being observed that for such purpose the bolt-holes(one of which is herein shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3, in a bearing forone of the arms) are somewhat larger than the bolts, and that the blocksor bearings upon which the forward ends of the arms are bolted aresomewhat rounded off along their top surfaces. The arms, connectedtogether as set forth, provide in effect a horizontal frame resemblingapair of shafts, which, by reason of its bolt or pivot connections, issusceptible of a certain degree of flexure, when it becomes necessary toturn or cause the engine-truck to deviate from a straight course. Thisarrangement prevents breakage of the parts, as will be evident withoutfurther description.

The beariugs 1'z for the axle of the propelling attachment areconvenientl y supported in pedestal-blocks 13, and the arms K aredesirably bolted to the pedestal-bloeks, thus providing a simple andreliable connection between the arms and the axle. The bearings I, whichare thus supported iu the pedestalblooks, can be rounded at their frontand rear sides, so as topermit them to turn or oscillate within thepedestal-blocks, and thus allow the axle to more readily swing round toeither side in tu rning the traction propelling attachment. The sprocketof the traction propelling attachment is eonsiderably larger than thesprocket on the engine-truck, in whichv way that portion of the Chainwhich passes from the highest point of the sprocket of the propellingattachment to the highest point of the sprocket on the engine truckinclines dowuwardly from the former to the latter, prefcrably at orabout au angle of forty-five degrees.

\Vhen power is applied from the engine to drive the chain belt Hin adirection to propel thetraction propelling attachment forward, asindicated by arrows, Fig. 3, and to thereby cause the tractionpropelling attachment to push ahead the engine-truck, the chain beltwill be pulled by the smaller sprocket of the engine-truck forward anddownwardly from the upper portion of the higher and larger sprocket ofthe traction propelling attachment, in which way the pulling force ofthe chain will be exerted in a direction to draw down the the tractionpropelling attachment, and cause the traction-Wheels thereof to pressupon the road with a degree of force proportional to the weight of theloaded engine-truck andthc power exerted by the engine to overcome theresistance; hence the requisite traction is attained without heavilyweighting the propelling attachment or making the t-raction- Wheelsthereof of undesirable size and weight,

it being apparent that as soon as power is applied to drive the chain ina direction necessary to propel thetraction propelling attachmentforward the downward pull exerted by the ehaiu upon the sprocket of saidattachment will insure the traction required to prevent thetraction-Wheels of said propelling attachment from slipping.

As a means for attaining a like result when the poweris applied so as toreverse the travel of the chain and back the traction attachment, Iprovide an idIer-pulley, H2, arranged at the rear end of a support whichis hung upon or ovei.` the axle l, and adapted to bring the'idler-pulley at a point in rearof but somewhat under the sprocket H' ofthe traction propelling` attachment. .The chain belt H passes under thisidler-pulley, which latter is maintained in position to hold the chainoff from the lower portion of the sprocket H', as shown in Fig. 3. Toinsu re such position of the idlerpulley, its support is composed of twobent arms, L, supported intermediate of their ends upon the axle atopposite sides of the sprocket, respective] y, and 'bent downwardly fromtheir respective points of support to their ends. This construction ofthe arms is desirable in order to bring their forward ends under therear portion of the engine-platform, and to place the idler-pulley,whichis mouuted on a short axle counecting together the rear ends of thearms, in the aforesaid position relative to the sprocket-wheel. By sucharrangement thepulling force ofthe chain upon the sprocket H' in hackingis, for the greater part, exerted upon and in a direction downwardlyfrom the top and upper rear portion of the said sprocket, so thatlikewise'in this instance the traction of the wheels I' will beincreased proportiouall y to the weight of the loaded enginetruck (whichlatter limits the upward swing of the forward ends of the arms) and themotive power which is applied from the engine to move the load. Theforward ends of the arms L are coupled together and carryfrietion-rollers Z Z, which bear against a metal plate, L', seeured tothe under side of the rear end of the platform of the engine-truck, bywhich means,when the engine-truck is turned to ,either side, any injurywhich would be incident to a rigid connection between the arms K and thesaid truck will be avoided. Vhen it is desired to further increase thetraction power of the propelling-Wheels I', the load or weight of theengine-truck may be wholly or partiallyr transferred from the rearwheels or runners of the engine-truck by the following means: A bridgeor cross beam, M, is secured to the arms K, and is bored through toprovide a passage for a threaded rod or screw, M', having its lower endconnected with the rear IIO end of the engine frame or platform by aspiral spring, M, and its upper end provided with a hand-wheel, M, whichhas its hub adapted to form a nut arranged to rest upon the cross-beam.The hub of the hand-wheel is held down on the beam by the weight of thetruck, so that by turning the hand-wheel the screw can be raised orlowered, as desired, in which way by raisiug the scrcw the weight of theload may bc exerted upon the spring, so as to bear upon the arms K, andby them transferred upon the traction -whecls with gradually-incrcasingforce until the power of the spring' serves to raise the rear end of thetruck and throw the full weight thereof on the traetion-wheels.

By arranging the propelling attachment at the rear end of theengine-truck, and extending the arms K back of the aXle of the saidpropelling attachment, the resistance of a loaded sled or of a train ofloaded sleds connected in any suitable way with the rear ends of thearms will tend to increase the traction of Wheels I' proportionally to-the Weight of the load and the angle of the line of draft between thesaid ends of the arms and the sled that is connected with the same. l

As a eonvenient way of attaching the sled to the arms, a. tongue, N,secured to the forward end of the sled, is adjustably connected to thecross-bar K', which connects the arms of the propelling attachment.Connection may be made between the tongue and the cross-bar by means ofa link or staple, n, secured to the cross-beam K', the tongue beinginserted through the staple and a pin, n', inserted in one of a line ofholes in the tongue, as shown in Fig. 1.

By coupling the rear sled at a greater or less distance from thetraction attachment arms the angle of the tongue will be increased ordiminishcd, and the downward tension of the load upon thetraction-wheels correspondingly increased or diminished.

VVhen the train is at rest, it is frequently difficult to start theengine under the full resistance of the load, especially when a singlecylinder is employed and the piston comes to rest at theend of itsstroke.

In order that theengine may be started before the load is brought uponthe engine and driving-gear, the worm-hub F* is provided with a groovewhich receives a longitudinal spline or key upon the counter-shaft, sothat the worm sleeve or hub may be permitted to slide endwise in eitherdireetion thereon to au vextent limited by stops or collars f f, securedto the counter-shaft at a suitable distance apart. Vhen the engine isstarted, the wormhub, met by the resistance of the worm-wheel, will beforced longitudinally along the counter-shaft until arrested by one ofthe stops, at

which jnneture its engagement with the wormwheel will be positive, sothat it will then operate the worm-wheel, and hence cause thetraction-wheels to be operated so as Vto move the load.

If desi1'ed,-the traetion-wheels may be capable of a limited rotary playupon and indepondent of the axle, to which end the axle may have aspline or key, to extend through segmental recesses 'i in the hubs ofthe Wheels.

The Wheels may be moved longitudinally upon the axle, to be placed moreclosely together or farther apart, and thus change the gage or tread ofthe vehicle. vTo such ends the whcels can be adjusted along the axle,upon which they will be guided by the spline arrauged to pass throughthe hubs, and held at any desired distance apart upon said axle by meansof adj ustable collars i, which fit the axle upon opposite sides of thehubs of the Wheels, and are firmly secured iu their adjusted position byset-screws i, arranged to pass through the collars and bear upon theaxle.

The machine may he guided or direeted in its course by chains O, securedto the forward ends of the runners and wound spirall y around a Verticalshaft, P, supported upon the forward end of the truck and provided witha hand-wheel, P'.

Vhen the road has become rough or cut up 01' slashed by thewheel-tracks, the irregular obstructions may be lnelted down; or theroad can be watered in the first instance, to permit ice to be formedthereon by means of steamjets direeted from a perforated pipe, R,arranged beneath the engine-car and connected by a Vertical pipe, R',with the exhaust-pipe R2 of the engine. A three-way cock, Rif, arrangedat the point of intersection between the pipes R' and R2, will allow theexhauststeam to be direeted either through the exhaust-pipe R2 to thesmoke-Stack or through the pipe R' to the perforated pipe R, arrangedbeneath the engine. In the latter case the steam will melt down the rutsor rongher portions of the roadway to prepare the way to be againcovered over with a smooth surface or to supply water to the road toform ice.

The traction-wheel attachment is detaehable from the engine truckorsled, and may be applied to any vehicle provided with means fordriving the traction-wheels.

The side arms, K, may be coupled or hitched onto any car or vehicleprovided with means for Operating the traction propelling attachment,and as the load is pushed forward or in advance of the driving-wheels amost effective arrangement is secured for elimbing upgrades;

Steady-ehains S, arrangcd over the rear end of the engine-truck, connectthe platform of said truck with the said arms K of the tractionpropelling attachment, and prevent said arms and truck from shiftingaway from each other. This conneetionis strong and simple, and, whileadmitting of the Vertical adj ustmentof the arms, serves to so steadythe arms in their connection with the engine-truck as to avoid anytendency of the chain-belt to slip or work sidewise from either one ofthe sprockets.

lIO

IIS

What I claim as myinvention is- 1. In a traction or road engine, theenginetruck carrying an engine, and provided With the small sprocket G2,driven from the said engine, in combination with the separate propellingattachment constructed with a pair of traction-Wheels, horizontal armsK, extending forward from the axle of said wheels and jointed to theengine-truck, and the largersprocket Hf, mounted between the wheels ofthe propelling attachment and standing higher than the sprocket G? ofthe engine-truck, substantially as set forth, the two sprockets beingconnected by a chain belt which inclines downwardly from the upperportion of the propelling attachment to the upper portion of thesprocket of the engine-truck, whereby when the traction-Wheels of thepropelling attachment are driven, through the medium of the chain andsprockets,in a direction to advance the engine-truck the traction ofsaid traction-Wheels shall beincreased proportionally to the weight ofthe engine-truck and the opposition thereof to the forward movement ofthe propelling attachment.

2. The combination, with the engine-truck carrying a sprocket that isdriven from the engine, of a traction propelling attachment providedwith asprocket, H, thatis driven by a chain belt from the sprocket ofthe enginetruck, and an idler-pulley carried by the traction propellingattachment and held in position to hold the chainbelt off from the lowerportion of the sprocket of the said traction propelling attachment,substantially as described.

8. The combination, with the engine-truck carrying a sprocket that isdriven from the engine, of the traction propelling attachment providedwith arms L, supported from the axle thereof and supporting in rear ofand somewhat under the sprocket H of the propelling attachment anidler-pulley that holds off from the said traction-wheel a chain beltwhich is employed to connect the latter With the traction-wheel of theengiuetruck, said arms being arranged to bear at their forward endsupwardly against some portion of the engine-truck, substantially asdescribed.

4. Thel combination, with the engine-truck carrying the engine and thetraction propelling attachment driven from the engine and arranged inrear of the engine-truck, of the horizontal arms connecting the tractionpropelliug attachment with the forward portion of the engine-truck, anadjusting-screw supported from said arms at a point over theengine-truck, and a spring placed between and connecting the lower endportion of the adjusting-screw with the engine-truck, substantially asdescribed.

5. The combination, with the engine-shaft, of the counter-shaft driventherefrom, a worm keyed to the counter-shaft to rotate therewith, but toslide thereon with an end movement, stops arranged upon the countershaftt'o limit the extent of slide in either direetion on the part of saidworm, and a worm-wheel engaged and driven by the worm, substantially asdescribed.

G. The combination, with the engine-truck adapted to move upon iceroads, of the steam engine and boiler, the perforated jet-pipe R,arranged below the truck, the steam-pipe R', connecting the jet-pipewith the exhaust of the engine, and a three-way cock arranged betweenthe steam and exhaust pipe, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

7. The combination, with the engine-truck and the appcnded tractionpropelling attachment driven by a chain belt from a sprocket upon theengine-truck, of the horizontal arms K, connccting'the tractionpropelling attachment with the forward portion of the enginetruck, andthe chains S, arranged to connect the said arms with the engine-truck,substantially and for the purpose described.

8. The combination, with the engine-truck carrying a sprocket, G2,driven from an engine upon the said truck, of a propelling attachmentconsisting of a sprocket, H', and a pair of traction-Wheels secured uponan axle, a chain belt, H, connecting the sprocket of the engine truckwith the sprocket of the traction propelling attachment, in the mannerdescribed, arms K, connecting the traction propelling attachment withthe forward portion of the engine-truck, and an idler-pulley, H2,supported from the axle of the traction .propelling attachment,substantially as set forth, said members being organized for operationas specified.

9. The combination, with the engine and its truck, of the propellingattachment provided with a pair of traction-wheels,I' and a sprocketarranged upon an axle having a spline, which passes through segmentalrecesses i in the hnbs of the traction-Wheels, subst-antially asdescribed.

GEO. THOMPSON GLOVER.

fifitnesses:

CATHERINE GLovER, FRED. H. MoMANUs.

IOO

